World press protests at Chinese jailing of journalists

Two leading world press bodies have protested to the Chinese government about the jailing of a journalist, Guo Qizhen, for posting political essays on the net. The World Association of Newspapers and World Editors Forum have sent a letter to Premier Wen Jiabao, calling for the release of all jailed journalists and to respect international standards of freedom of expression. Guo was sentenced to four years on a charge of "subverting state sovereignty". Subversion is a charge that is frequently used to silence dissidents in China. The full letter requires reading. (Via World Association of Newspapers)